Hiring an individual with autism will be a life changing experience for everyone associated with your business. From an external point of view, it shows that your business is invested in diversity and that you’re flexible to work with anyone. Internally, your staff will develop their empathy skills and you’ll be given a unique opportunity to re-examine long standing traditions and practices to help your business become leaner and more efficient.
Of course, the person who benefits the most from the hiring process is your new employee themselves. It’s estimated that around 80% of adults with autism in British Columbia are either unemployed or work jobs that don’t truly make use of their skills and talents. By giving them a meaningful paid position, you are giving them independence and the opportunity to learn and grow.
The importance of job coaching
However, the modern workplace can present a multitude of challenges to someone with autism. Deadlines can ramp up their anxiety, sudden to changes to their routines are hard to adjust to and the need to read multiple social situations each day can make working a real struggle. This is where getting job coaching from Orbital will be essential, with support given in:
- Organization and self-care – One of Orbital’s biggest goals for individuals with autism who come looking for work is to help them do so with the minimum amount of support possible. A big piece of this is training them in different organization strategies that will be applicable from setting a new morning routine at home to learning how to use checklists to complete the tasks expected of them.
- Social situations – many people with ASD find it hard to read nuanced social situations. While Orbital will work alongside the hiring organization to train existing staff in effective communication techniques to use with individuals with autism, the person with autism will need some training and practice to help them cope. This training typically involves plenty of practice, scenario based work and positive feedback, and it will be an ongoing process even once they have started to work.
- Business fundamentals – it’s important for employees with autism to understand how businesses work and what their responsibilities are when they are at work. This understanding will help to keep them focused and gives you a tool for discussing any issues that may arise. Orbital’s job coaching also covers acceptable and unacceptable behaviors at work and some ways to manage the stress that will naturally build up over time.
Orbital will provide all potential employees with a high level of pre-job training, but it will make sense for you to keep them by your side as your new employee learns the ropes. On the job coaching is available and is always tailored to the needs of the individual and your business. Orbital will also work alongside your in-house professional development team to create personalized job coaching for both the individual and the rest of your employees to change everyone’s lives for the better.
